Grawp Duty
by Seery
Summary: Hermione and Ron go into the Forbidden Forest to check on Grawp....


Disclaimer: Not mine, yada yada yada.

This fic is for the wonderful Lena, from me. Have a very Harry Christmas from me!

It was a typical evening in the Gryffindor common room. The fifth years and seventh years were bent over their books, preparing for the OWLS and NEWTS, respectively. Others were doing their homework or were engaged in a game Wizarding Chess.

At one table, four boys were in the middle of a fierce round of Exploding Snap. They contrasted each other greatly, one with red hair, one brown, one blonde, and one black. They all looked up as the portrait hole opened and a whirlwind of bushy brown hair stormed in, disrupting the peace.

"Ron! Do you know where Harry and Ginny are?"

The redhead looked puzzled. "No. I thought they were in the library with you."

Hermione groaned and grabbed Ron. "Come on, then."

The group in the common room heard Ron's shouts of "Hermione!" fading into the distance as she pulled him out of the room.

"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed as they ran outside. "Would you mind explaining what the bloody hell is going on?"

She rolled her eyes, but didn't slow her pace. "Harry and Ginny were supposed to go to Grawp today, but I haven't seen them go out."

"Do you regularly make sure we're doing what you tell us to do?" he asked acidly. "And what's that got to do with me?"

"It has to do with you because I can't find them anywhere and _someone_ needs to do it!" she said, pointedly ignoring his first question.

"You mean we're going in the forest? I have enough of Grawp duty as it is, I don't want any more!"

"That's exactly what I mean, and you know it. You're so dense sometimes!"

"But-"

The pair hurried through the forest, Hermione in the front and Ron behind her, obviously very reluctant to come, considering he was constantly complaining. Suddenly she snapped and rounded on him.

"Ron! Nothing is going to happen! We've done this lots of times, and _nothing_ has ever happened! It won't today just because we're doing it for someone else and it's not our turn!"

"But there are spiders in there! How do we know they won't come after us?"

"You're hopeless! If you paid attention and stopped complaining, you'd know that the spiders are in a completely different part of the forest from where we are. And if they do come, I'll protect you," she said sarcastically.

Ron stopped dead. "You'll _what?_"

"You heard me."

Ron ran to catch up. "I don't need your protection!"

"Oh yeah? With all the complaining you've been doing, it certainly sounds like it to me. 'It's so scary in here!' 'The spiders will get me!' 'Save me, Hermione!'"

"Fine," he said angrily. "I'll prove it to you. I'll stand right here and you go on to Grawp and then when you come back, I'll be perfectly fine and you weren't near me!"

Hermione snorted and moved on through the brush.

He watched her back, ramrod straight with anger, vanish into the forest. He looked around for somewhere to sit and perched on a rock. Suddenly an uneasy feeling came over him. He couldn't explain what it was, but he was sure that she shouldn't go off alone. He got up and crashed through the trees after her.

"Hermione! Wait up! I- I- I was being an idiot, all right?" he called as soon as he saw her. She turned around and smiled.

"Finally figured it out, did you?" she asked.

"Figured what out?"

She threw up her hands in despair. "Why do you even try with me!"

"Because I love you!"

Ron reddened, horrified. And kept getting redder. Until he mumbled something unintelligible and ran away.

Hermione stood stock still as he left. She'd never thought... "I'm an idiot," she said to herself, then took off after him.

"Ron?"

She found him sitting where he'd originally waited for her to return, sitting on the rock with his head in his hands, his ears bright red. She couldn't see his face, but she'd bet on her life that it was the same.

She moved towards him and crouched down before the rock.

"Ron?"

Surprisingly, she heard a muffled reply. "What?"

"Did you mean that?"

"Of course I meant it, why else would I say it? You're so smart, why are you asking me?"

She reached up and put a finger under his chin, raising his head so she could look him in the eye.

"Because I love you too."

He gaped at her. "Me?"

"You."

He grinned widely and leaned forwards a little hesitantly. When she did as well, he captured her lips in a warm kiss.

"Hermy?"

They both yelped and flew apart. Ron looked up from his vantage point on the ground and began to laugh. It seemed Grawp had gotten bored. Hermione looked at him and let out a giggle. They both burst into laughter and clutched at each other, trying to stay upright. Ron fell off the rock onto Hermione.

"HERMY!"

Hermione didn't answer. She was busy.


End file.
